Understanding Greek Conjunctions: Coordinating and Subordinating Explained

What Are Greek Conjunctions?

In Greek, conjunctions are words that connect clauses, sentences, or words together. They help to form complex and compound sentences, making your speech and writing more fluid and natural. There are two main types of conjunctions in Greek: coordinating and subordinating.

Coordinating Conjunctions in Greek

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or independent clauses that are of equal importance. They are similar to the English conjunctions like "and", "but", and "or".

• και (kai) – and
• αλλά (alla) – but
• ή (í) – or
• ούτε (oúte) – neither/nor
• γιατί (giatí) – for/because

Example:
Θέλω καφέ και τσάι. (Thélo kafé kai tsái.) – I want coffee and tea.

Subordinating Conjunctions in Greek

Subordinating conjunctions connect a dependent clause to an independent clause, showing a relationship such as cause, time, condition, or purpose. They are similar to English conjunctions like "because", "although", "if", and "when".

• επειδή (epeidí) – because
• αν (an) – if
• όταν (ótan) – when
• ενώ (enó) – while/although
• για να (gia na) – so that/to

Example:
Δεν ήρθα επειδή ήμουν άρρωστος. (Den írtha epeidí ímoun árrostos.) – I didn't come because I was sick.

Tips for Using Greek Conjunctions

• Remember that coordinating conjunctions join elements of equal grammatical rank.
• Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses and often affect the word order in Greek sentences.
• Practice common conjunctions in context to get familiar with their usage.
• Pay attention to the meaning each conjunction conveys to choose the correct one.
• Use conjunctions to make your Greek more natural and fluent.

Common Greek Conjunctions with English Translations